Xbox Game Pass Update Adds 5 More Retro Games

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Xbox Game Pass has expanded its Retro Classics library with five new games. Game Pass subscribers already enjoy access to over 100 retro titles, and these new additions are available at no extra cost.

When Xbox Retro Classics launched in May 2025, it featured 60 emulated classic games, including titles originally created by companies like Blizzard, Activision, and Sierra. The service has been consistently adding more games since then, with several new retro titles released each month. For example, in January 2026, Xbox Game Pass added four games to the Retro Classics collection: Sky Patrol, Keystone Kapers, Laser Gates, and Rise of the Dragon.

Xbox Game Pass Retro Classics Adds Five Games for February 2026

  • Stampede (1981)
  • Kabobber (1983)
  • Seaquest (1983)
  • Beyond Zork: The Coconut of Quendor (1987)
  • Return to Zork (1993)

This month, Xbox Retro Classics added Stampede, a classic game originally released for the Atari 2600 in December 1981. Developed by Activision, Stampede is one of the earliest video game simulations of a rodeo, where players take on the role of a cowboy trying to round up a runaway herd of cattle. It’s a straightforward, side-scrolling action game with the iconic, colorful graphics of the Atari 2600.

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Developed by Activision for the Atari 2600, Kabobber came out two years after Stampede. While Stampede was a simple action game, Kabobber is a more complex strategy title. Players control the Kabobbers in a pixelated war against the Buvskies. The goal is to strategically place Baby Buvsky troops on a grid, defeat enemies, strengthen their army, and ultimately rescue Princess Buvsky.

Released in 1983 for the Atari 2600 by Activision, Seaquest is an underwater shooting game where players pilot a submarine, destroy enemies, and save divers in trouble. The game was initially very well-received, even though its designer, Steve Cartwright, later revealed it was largely based on the 1981 arcade game Defender. Cartwright went on to create popular games for the Commodore 64, including Aliens and Hacker.

Xbox’s Retro Classics catalog is gaining two new titles from the beloved Zork series this February 2026. Zork started in 1977 as a text-based adventure, and the series evolved significantly over the next ten years. In 1987, Beyond Zork: The Coconut of Quendor modernized the gameplay with features like character stats, battles, and other elements commonly found in role-playing games. It was released for MS-DOS, Amiga, Apple II, and other systems.

The creators of the original Zork series, Infocom, developed Beyond Zork, but it was published by Activision after the company was sold in 1986. Infocom released one final Zork game, Zork Zero: The Revenge of Megaboz, which was available from day one on Xbox Retro Classics. Although Activision closed Infocom in 1989, they continued to produce Zork games for almost ten years. The fifth and last game added to the Xbox Game Pass Retro Classics collection this month is one of these later titles.

Released in 1993, Return to Zork was the first game in the series to use a point-and-click interface, focusing more on graphics than previous installments. The game also included full-motion video scenes with live actors, including Sam J. Jones from Flash Gordon and Robyn Lively of Twin Peaks. While it aimed to refresh the Zork series, its release was met with a divided reaction from fans and critics who weren’t sure about the changes.

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2026-02-19 23:05